Sydney  - Pope Benedict XVI is expected to meet sexual abuse victims Monday before leaving Australia at the close of a week-long youth festival that drew 350,000 to its closing mass.

The 81-year-old pontiff thanked 8,000 World Youth Day volunteers at a Sydney harbourside send off amid speculation that he has also met privately with people sexually abused by members of the clergy.

There were no victims present at a Saturday gathering of bishops when the pontiff apologized, a fact that victims' lobby group Broken Rites spokeswoman Chris McIsaacs said was unfortunate.

"I think it really needs to be delivered directly to the people who suffered that abuse," McIsaacs told national broadcaster ABC. "He could have looked the victims in the eye, and he could have said, the pope could have said, 'I am truly sorry.'"

Observers said that the pope's apology was more far-reaching that that given in April during his visit to the United States.

"These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation," the pope told the gathering of Australian bishops. "They have caused great pain. They have damaged the church's witness."

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi held out the possibility that the Holy Father would meet victims and their families before ending his first visit to Australia, but said that any such meeting would not be revealed until his plane left. (dpa)